Record-cleaning device



Novl 6,1923. y 1,472,857

. A. swENsyEN RECORD CLEANING DEVICE Filed April l2, 1922 Patented Nov. 6, i923.

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ABRAHAM sWENsNN, orv MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA; MARY swnNsnN ADMINISTRA- TRIX or SAID ABRAHAM sWENsnN, nEoEAsED.

Application led April l2, 1922. Serial No. 551,776.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM SwENsnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, inthe county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Record- Cleaning Devices; Iand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as Ywill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to a phonograph and particularly to a cleaning device for keeping the records clean adjacent the playing needle. It is well known to those familiar with such machines that dust accumulates on the record and in the grooves thereof. Such'dust is pushed along by the playing needle and unless the record and, needle are brushed or cleaned, will very noticeably interfere with the proper reproductionof the selections.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a moving means for cleaning the record adjacent the needle.

It is another object of the invention, to provide a rotatable cleaning means which is driven by a member adapted to contact therewith and b e driven by the record.

It is still another-object of the invention to provide means for driving the cleaning means so that the same will be driven in the opposite direction from the Vmeans which engages and is driven by the record.

It is a still further object of the invention to mount the device on the tone arm or sound box carried thereby sothat the device will move Vwith the tone arm, will be yieldingly urged toward the record and will be lifted by the tonearm when the latter 'is lifted.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters referto the same parts throughout the different views and in,y

-F ig. l is a view in side elevation of the attachment showing the same attached to the sound box or tone arm and also showing a partY of the record;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device illustrating the sound box and tone arm in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 shown'on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4 is ay vertical section taken on the line 4%-4 of Fig. 2, also shown on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. l is shown a portion b of the usual rot-ating disk record and a portion of the tone arm c carrying the sound box d is also shown kfrom which extends and is supported a playing needle e. Y

In accordance with this invention, a bracket l is carried by a bail member 2 havinoits ends swingingly mounted in indepen Lent fork members carried by U- shaped brackets 3 adapted to be clamped to thevunder-edge of the sound box (Z by suitable knurled clamping "screws 4. The member 1 is provided with a central bore extending substantially horizontall or in parallelism with the surface of thefrecord and a member 5 has a projecting shaft or pintle portion 5a adapted to bereceived insaid borek and held in adjusted positionv therein by suitable knurled clamping screw 6. The member 5 has a pintle or stem 5b extending at each side thereof in a plane substantially horizontal or parallel to the surface vof the record o' and on one of theseother suitable material clamped between va hub 7b bored to fit and rotateon the pintle 5b, and a hub 7C threaded onto the'V member 7b, asV shown in Fig. 3. On the other pintle 5b is j ournaled a rotating brush 8 comprising circumferentially extending and radiali projecting bristles clamped between the hub portion 8b which is bored to lit and rotate on the pintleb and another portion 8c threaded thereon also, as shown in F ig.V 3. The hubs 7b and 8b`are contacted on-their outer ends by coiled springs V9 surrounding extensions of the pintles 5b and held inposition by suitable knurled nuts 10 threaded on the outer ends of lsaid extensions. that the inner surface of themembers 7c and 8b are somewhat beveled and a friction wheel 1l comprising a central portion of rubber beror other suitable' material is held between the hub member 1lbV bored to `fit and rotate onthe member '5a and another hub or disk Aportion threaded thereon.. This hub portion 1lb contacts a shoulder formed on the member 5 and, at its other end, contacts' It will be' notedv with a suitable Washer inserted between the same and the bracket i. T he member l and parts carried thereby are yicldingly urged toward the record by a spring member l2 attached to the bail. 2 andpressing` against the underside of the sound box (Z. A bracket 13 is attached to the top of the member l and has a resilient hook portion adapted to extend over the top of the sound boX (Z s that when the said box and tone arms c are lifted, this bracket Will engage with the sound box and raise the member l and attached parts.

In operation, the device will be attached, as shown, so that the cleaning member or brush 8 brushes over the part of the record at each side of the portion to be contacted and traversed by the needle c. The Wheel 7 engages with the surface of the record o and is turned thereby. This Wheel, in turn, turns the Wheel 1l and said Wheel being in engagement With the hub of the brush 8 rotates the latter in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the Wheel 7. The dust. and loose dirt on the record will thus be effectively brushed away out of the path of the needle. The member 5 can be swung about the axis of the member 5 to ring the Wheel 7 into correct engagement with the surface of the record by manipulation of the screw 6 and the Wheel will be held in its correct adjusted position by the tightening of said screw. The nuts l0 can be adjusted t0 vary the tension of the springs 9 so as to give the proper engagement between the parts 7, 8 and 11 to properly drive the same.

1From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and efiicient cleaning device lfor phonograph records. The same can be attached to practically any standard phonograph machine, particularly to Va'machine of the Edison type using a diamond point needle. The attachment Will be lifted when the'tone arm is lifted and will not interfere in any Way with the operationof the machine. The dust and dirt being effectively cleaned from the record in the playing grooves thereof, a noticeable improvement Will be effected in the rendition of the selections.

It Will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

Vhat is claimed is:

' Vl. A record cleaning attachment for a phonograph comprising, a rotatable cleaning means attached to the sound box to move across the record therewith, and means adapted to Contact With andbe actuated by the record for rotating the cleaning means.

2. A record cleaning device for aphonograph comprising a rotatable cleaning means. a driving means therefor adapted to Y advance of the needle, means connecting the same to the sound box for movement therewith, a narrow rotating'driving means for said brush adapted to contact with and be driven by the record, a transmission means connecting said means to turn the former in a direction opposite tothe latter.

e. A cleaning device fora phonograph having in combination, a rotatable brush, a rotatable disk Wheel engaged With and adapted to be driven by the record, a member having oppositely disposed pintles on which said brush and disk are mounted, said brush and disk having beveled faces disposed toward each other, a beveled friction Wheel having its axis normal to the axes of said brush and disk disposed between and engaging said beveled faces so as to drive the brush in the direction opposite to the said friction disk, springs moving said brush and disk toward said friction wheel, and meansV for adjusting the tension of said springs. 5. A cleaning device for a phonograph having in combination a rotating brush, a rotatable friction Wheel engaged with and adapted to be driven by therrecord, a friction wheel engaging said brush and first mentioned friction Wheel to drive the former in a direction opposite to the latter, means for swinginglysupporting said device from the sound boX, and means for yieldingly pressing the same Atoward the record.

6. A cleaning device for a phonographhaving in combination, a rotatable cleaning means, rotatable driving means therefor adapted to contact with and be driven-by the record, a transmission means `connecting said means to drive-the cleaning means oppositely t0 the driving means, and means for swingingly supporting said members `from the sound box.

7. :The structure set forth in claim 6, said last mentioned means being provided with means permitting the driving means tol be` moved toward and from the record and for holding the same in adjusted position.

8. A cleaning device for a phonograph having in combination, a bracket swingingly supported by the sound box vfor movement toward and from the record, a member having oppositely extending alined pintles and mounted on a pivot in said bracket so as to extend substantially parallel tothe surface of the record, a cleaning device journaled on one of said pintles, a driving means lli) ing toward and from the record, a member Y having oppositely extended alined substan-V tially horizontal pintles carried by said bracket, cleaning means rotatably mounted on one of said pintles, driving means r0- tatably mounted on the other of said intles, and a friction Wheel engaging said c eaning means and driving means mounted on said member and in engagement with said means. 10. The structure set forth in claim 9,

and means for yieldingly `urging said.

bracket and members carried thereby toward the record.

Vll. The structure set forth in claim 9, and means attached to said bracket and projecting over the sound box whereby When the tone arm and sound box are lifted, said bracket will be lifted.

l2. A record cleaning device for a phonograph having in combination, a bracket adapted to be supported above the record, a member having oppositely extending alined substantially horizontal pintles carried by said bracket, cleaning means rotatably mounted on one of said pintles, driving means rotatably mounted on the other of said pintles, a friction Wheel engaging said i' cleaning means and driving means mounted on saidl member, and adjustable tension means on saidV pintles for urging the cleaning means andthedriving means into engagement With said friction Wheel.

13. A record cleaning device for a phonograph having in combination, rotatable cleaning means, a rotatable driving means therefor adapted to engage With and beV Vdriven by the record, a member for sup-f porting said tvvov means, said member being provided with means Vwhereby said driving means can be moved toward and from the record, and means for holding the'same in adjusted position.

14C. A device for cleaning phonograph records comprising means to mount the device to constrain it to move laterally with the lateral movement ofthe phonograph needle, a revolving brush adapted to clean the surface ofthe record, a friction Wheel adapted for frictional engagement With the record to be driven by the latter, and means to turn said brush With the turning of said Wheel. v

l5. A device for cleaning phonograph records, comprising a cleaning element r0- tated and moved transversely over the rec` ord by the record, the rotation of said element being opposed to the rotation of the record.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. ABRAHAM SWENSEN. 

